10 products you need to keep yourself entertained on long flights

Don’t let anyone tell you that adult coloring books are childish. In fact, they’re quite the opposite, with many grown-ups saying they’re a low-key way to stay calm and centered. If you’re a nervous flyer, this may just be the hobby you didn’t know you needed!

This particular coloring book has 31 serenity-inducing pages featuring images like sea shells, flowers, feathers and more, all of them in large-print and with tons of details to fill in. You also don’t have to worry about shading too hard since the pages are thick. So, if you decide to use pens or markers instead of colored pencils, the ink won’t bleed through.

“I am 75 years old and have returned to coloring books. What a hoot,” one shopper wrote. “It is true — we all return from where we came. It is fun, time-consuming, enjoyable and stress-free, calming.”

If you plan on grabbing that adult coloring book, you should add these colored pencils to your cart to complete the experience. For under $10, you get over 70 colors to create the most vibrant tableaus right there in your plane seat. Shoppers say they glide smoothly across the pages and give you 100% coverage, so you won’t have to shade over and over again to get that gorgeous color payoff.

“These colored pencils are the best I have ever colored with,” one impressed shopper wrote. “They are strong (tips don’t break easily) and silky smooth. The colors are vibrant and you can create beautiful blending results by adjusting the pressure.”

Here’s a tried-and-true game that travelers routinely keep in their bags. While you can grab a book of Sudoku games from one of those airport kiosks near your gate, you may run into two problems: a hefty price tag or an oversized brick that’s a pain to fit in your hand luggage.

This Sudoku book, on the other hand, can literally fit in your pocket, making it ideal for traveling. If you’re a beginner, don’t worry — it offers puzzles of five difficulty levels (easy, normal, hard, very hard and extreme), and over 150 grids. And if you get stumped or just want to check how you’re doing, there are solutions for every puzzle at the end.

“I love Sudoku,” one reviewer wrote. “I am glad I could find a small size that fits [in] my handbag. Most important, I won’t get bored on the airplane.”

This one’s fun if you’re traveling with friends or family. And, while it’s a bit interactive, it won’t distract your neighbors, especially if they’re napping. This palm-sized tin comes with 50 cards featuring suggestions for fun, time-killing things for you and your travel buddies. 

From quirky drawing prompts to crosswords, there are myriad ways to keep boredom at bay with this in your carry-on. If nothing else, it’s worth its weight in gold for its ability to keep kids engaged and occupied while in the friendly skies.

If you’re traveling solo or with a companion, a conventional card game may be more your speed. This book features instructions for playing (aptly enough) 52 of them, from beloved classics like solitaire to more sophisticated ones like poker squares. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll have to pack your own deck of cards.

“Since my husband and I don’t really go out a lot, the book gives us many interesting card games to pass time and keep the old brain working,” one reviewer wrote.

If your coach cabin has no in-flight entertainment (or the shows and movies they offer aren’t quite up to par), here’s your plan B. This phone holder lets you prop up your device to watch your own downloaded favorites, hands-free and at eye level. It easily attaches to your tray table or a luggage handle, so it’s a no-brainer, space-saving add-on. And oh yeah: It’s flight crew-approved.

“I’m a flight attendant and I commute by plane from Utah to New York and watch TV on my phone the whole time,” one high-flying pro wrote. “My hand was always hurting from holding my phone that whole time, and now I have this, and it’s just the absolute perfect solution. Anyone who travels, especially by plane, should have one.

This is one of the most-used products in my travel bag. On certain airlines, the in-flight entertainment is top-tier, with recent releases that aren’t even available on streaming platforms. But when I used those low-quality wired earbuds that plug into the seat’s headphone jack, I would hear the plane’s engine more than the dialogue. This Bluetooth transmitter allows me to tune in with my noise-canceling headphones. Also, setting it up took me maybe five seconds.

“It was [a] game changer for a nine-hour flight,” one Amazon reviewer wrote. “The free earbuds they hand out hurt my ears after a while and don’t cancel out the loud noise of the plane. This device was exactly what I was looking for.”

Then, there is, of course, the salvation to be had from a pair of good noise-canceling headphones. These are both pretty affordable and Yahoo-approved. They’re also foldable, making them easy to stow when you take off and land; have control buttons built-in; offer both Bluetooth and wired connectivity; and boast a battery that can pump out audio for up to 55 hours on a single charge!

“These can be wired, which is so great for flights that have screens to plug your headphones into via 3.5mm jack,” one traveler wrote. “Comes with the cord and carry pouch.”

On the one hand, whipping out a laptop to watch your downloaded content can be a bit much on a flight. On the other hand, your phone screen may not be large enough for you to actually enjoy (or even really see) what you’re watching. A tablet is the perfect middle ground, and this iPad is up at Amazon for just $199.

This model features 64GB of storage, enough for you to binge to your heart’s desire to get you through your long flight.

“It’s the perfect travel size and is very durable,” one shopper wrote. “It’s very good for drawing and has a lot of storage.”

If you’re a reader, the Kindle may just be the best travel purchase you’ll ever make — sometimes all you need is a good book to get you from takeoff to touchdown. When you’re working with limited space, a book can be cumbersome. Plus, when the cabin lights are turned down or shut off completely, you’ll have to use the overhead reading light, and that can bother the passengers beside you. The Kindle is the best of everything: It holds thousands of books, it’s almost as slim as your passport, it’s lightweight and it doesn’t require a bright light for easy reading.